The Unavoidable Thing Between Us
by simplyxamazing
Summary: An alternate ending to the season finale in which Jess returns to Stars Hollow with a going away gift for Rory.[Literati]
1. Reunion

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gilmore Girls or any relating characters. If I did, Jess would've been in the season finale.

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It's her going away party and Rory stands up and takes the mic to say a few words.

"I love this place," she says. "I just loved growing up here. And I love-" She abruptly stops in the middle of her speech and stares straight ahead.

"Jess." She whispers. Everyone looks at each other, confused.

"She loves Jess?" Babette asks into the crowd, but receives only shrugs. Rory walks off the stage towards the back of the tent. Lorelai notices the dark haired man and watches as everyone turns and watches Rory walk up to him. Lorelai walks up to the now unoccupied microphone, and taps it loudly. The crowd turns towards her.

"Hi. Okay everyone, so how about we give them some privacy?" No one makes a move to leave, and she becomes agitated.

"On the _other_ side of the tent, there's food. Lots of food that Luke and Sookie spent hours making." Still there was no response, and the crowd refused to move. Lorelai sighed.

"Oh come on people. You're going to hear about what happened tomorrow anyway. You know how gossip spreads in this town." There were murmurs of agreement, yet no one moved to the other side of the tent. Lorelai was about to give up when Taylor took the mic from her.

"I believe you should listen to Lorelai, and leave them to their um...talk. However, as mayor I believe it is my responsibility to stay and make sure everything goes smoothly on this side of the tent." Lorelai rolled her eyes, but figured it was better just Taylor than the whole town. The townspeople nodded, and moved to the other side of the tent. Lorelai also left and went to talk to Sookie, leaving Rory and Jess alone.

"What are you doing here?" Rory asked. Jess smirked.

"Luke called. He said he was throwing you a going away party and he'd like it if I came." Rory doubted that was the whole story, but accepted his answer anyway.

"What about the book store?" She asked. He shrugged.

"I think the guys can handle it for a few hours." She fidgeted.

"I guess you heard about the job." He nodded.

"A campaign tour, that's pretty big. Congratulations." She smiled.

"Thanks. I'm going to miss it here, though. There's no telling how long I'll be gone." She said. Jess's smirk turned into a scowl.

"And what does rich boy think about all of this?" She looked confused for a moment, and then looked down.

"We broke up." Jess's scowl lifted.

"Finally came to your senses?" he asked.

"Jess." Rory warned. He sighed.

"Sorry." He whispered. "It's just-" She cut him off.

"I know. It's okay." She paused for a moment and tried to look anywhere but him. "He proposed." She stated. If this surprised Jess, he didn't show it.

"Huh." He said. She rolled her eyes.

"Are we really back to that?" she asked and he knew what she meant. When they first met he usually only answered with a one syllable word. When he met her, he finally started to open up.

"No." he said and she looked back at him and smiled. "So why'd you say no?" he asked. She shrugged.

"He said it was an all or nothing thing, but it was too soon for me. I'm not ready for marriage; I have my whole life ahead of me. " Jess nodded.

"His loss." He said. She smiled and opened her mouth to speak when Jess pulled out a package from the bag he was carrying. He handed it to her.

"Think of it as a going away present." He told her. She bit her lip and slowly opened the package. Inside was a rough draft of a book. She scanned the front for an author, and found Jess Mariano written in tiny print in the right bottom corner. She read the title aloud.

"Twenty Two Point Eight Miles." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"You remembered." She said. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodbye Rory." He whispered and turned and started to walk away. He got about six feet away and then turned back around.

"Just so you know, I'm expecting that back." He smirked and then continued to walk. Rory watched him until he was out of sight, and then turned around. She inhaled deeply and hugged the pages tightly to her chest. As she walked towards the other side of the tent she didn't notice the many pairs of eyes on her. Nor did she notice Babette's exited face as Taylor whispered the events that had just taken place. Within the next hour, the whole town was sure to know that Jess was back in Rory's life. And this time, she wasn't so sure he was leaving.

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**should I continue?**

**reviews are loved :)**


	2. Twenty Two Point Eight Miles

**A/N:** thanks to all my reviewers!

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Tears formed in Rory's eyes as she took one last look at Lorelai and waved. Lorelai waved back, and Rory could tell she was crying. An announcer came over the intercom.

"Flight 202 to Iowa City, Iowa now boarding." Rory sighed and grabbed her carry on bag and walked through the gate to board the plane. She arrived at her seat, and luckily found that the seat beside her was unoccupied. She pulled out Jess's book and then sat her bag in the seat beside her. She waited until the plane was airborne, and then turned the book to the first page. It was a dedication page, written in Jess's familiar handwriting.

_I'd like to first dedicate this book to my Uncle Luke. Without him, I never would've landed in Stars Hollow, where I met the person that inspired this book. Having said that, the person I would most like to dedicate this to is Rory Gilmore. Without you, I wouldn't be the person I am today. You saved me in more ways than you can possibly imagine, and I let you down. I love you, you know that. I think I've always loved you, and I believe that in some way, you've always loved me too. I know I have a reputation for being quick to runaway when things get hard, but I'm tired of avoiding this thing between us. I promise this time, I'm not going anywhere. I wrote this book for you, in hopes that you'd understand why I did the things I did. I never meant to hurt you, and I hope one day you will forgive me. So, as I end the longest dedication page that I will probably ever write, I just want you to know; I have been, and will always be, twenty two point eight miles away from you. All you have to do is get in your car and drive._

Rory finished reading the dedication page and wiped away the tears that had begun to fall. Of course she knew he loved her, but she had no idea he loved her that much. She checked her watch and found she still had a while on the plane, so she turned the page and began reading the book.

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Rory looked up and noticed that people were exiting the plane. She had been so intent on reading; she hadn't even noticed the plane had landed. She had one chapter left, but had already learned so much about Jess. It was weird having a book written about you, she had decided. Nevertheless, she still thought it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. Many questions had been answered for her, like the real reason why Jess left the first time, and what really happened the day he went to her grandmother's with a black eye. Rory thought it was hilarious that Jess got attacked by a swan. So hilarious, she almost didn't believe it.

The book was written in Jess's point of view, so she was finally able to understand what had been going through his mind. Jess felt guilty for everything he had done to her, and she noticed he was extremely jealous of Dean. Not that she couldn't tell that without knowing his thoughts.

Rory placed the book back in her bag, and figured she would finish the last chapter later. She exited the plane, and walked up to the desk to get the number of a taxi service. She called, and they said they would be there within the next half hour. She sighed and sat down, then reached in and pulled the book back out. She turned to the last chapter and found that only half a page was completed. 'That's weird' she thought, before she started reading.

_My phone rang at about six o' clock on Saturday. I answered with a groggily hello, and I heard yelling in the background._

"_Jess. Hey." I heard Luke practically yell in the phone. I held the phone away from my ear._

"_Jeez." I said. Luke yelled something else about hotdogs, and then said,_

"_Sorry. Things are a little crazy around here." I then wondered why he was calling if he was so busy. He answered my question without me having to ask._

"_We're planning a surprise party for Rory." He said cautiously, knowing that it was a sore topic for me._

"_Huh." I stated. Luke sighed._

"_Listen, I know the last time you saw her didn't go so well." Now that was an understatement. "But I really think you should come. She got a job working on the campaign tour for Barack Obama, and no one knows when she'll be back. This could be your last chance." He told me. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. She'd rejected me the other times I'd returned, what was going to make this time any different?_

"_It's at twelve o' clock." He said, and then paused for a moment, as if he was thinking. "You could give her that book you've been writing." He said. I sighed. It was a good idea, and that had been my intention for writing the book in the first place._

"_I'll think about it." I told him, and we hung up. I grabbed the book and wrapped it in plain, white paper. I put the package in my bag, and then grabbed my jacket. 'Here goes nothing' was my last thought before I left my apartment._

Rory now realized why Jess said he was expecting it back. The story wasn't even finished yet. It was her move, and she would ultimately decide the ending of the book. Who was she to make a good book end badly? She didn't even have to think about what to do. She got up from the chair and walked quickly to the desk.

"How may I help you?" the lady at the desk asked her.

"I need the quickest plane to Philadelphia." She said, and the lady began typing.

"There's one that leaves in an hour, and there is one first class seat available." Rory pulled out the emergency credit card her grandparents had given her before she left.

"I'll take it." She said, and the lady smiled.

_**

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**__**Personally, I didn't like this chapter that much. I like writing dialogue, and I felt like this one didn't have enough in it. The next chapter is going to have a lot of Rory & Jess, and will definitely be better than this one :)**_


	3. A Broken Promise

**A/N: **I decided to take the reviewers' advice, and not make this the last chapter. So, here goes chapter three...

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Rory took a deep breath before turning the knob to the door of Jess's bookstore. The book was clutched tightly in her hand, and she looked around for Jess. After walking around and not finding him, she went to the desk where two men were standing. She figured they were brothers, because they had the same build and the same piercing blue eyes. The only difference was that the one on the right was brunette, and the one on the left was blonde. They looked to be in their early twenties, and Rory remembered them from the last time she had been there.

"Do you know where Jess is?" she asked them. The one on the left nodded.

"Yeah, he's upstairs." He told her.

"Thanks." Rory said, and the man smiled.

"No problem." The brunette was silent until he noticed the book in her hand. He smirked.

"You're Rory aren't you?" Rory was confused as to how he knew her.

"Yes." She said cautiously. The man held out his hand and she shook it.

"I'm Matt, and this is Dylan." Rory smiled.

"It's nice to meet you." She told them. "You're Jess's friends, right?" They both laughed.

"Sure." Matt said, and Dylan cut in.

"Jess doesn't really have friends. More like acquaintances. He basically reads and writes all day. Well, that and talks about you." Rory blushed.

"He does?" she asked. Matt smirked.

"How else would I have known who you are?" Rory shrugged, and Dylan and Matt nodded towards the stairs.

"Go." Matt said. Rory smiled.

"Thanks...Both of you." She told them.

"Yeah, well, Jess needs to get a life. He hasn't really had one since he lost you." Dylan told her as she turned and walked up the stairs. Jess was unpacking boxes of books and had his back turned to her. He must've heard her footsteps, because he turned around.

"Rory?" he asked. "What are you doing here?" She held out the book, but he made no move to take it.

"I read it." She told him. She saw him smile, but he quickly covered it up with a smirk.

"Huh." He stated, and then again asked, "Rory, what are you doing here?" A look of hurt crossed her face.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" she asked angrily. He shrugged.

"You should be at your job, in Iowa" he told her. She gripped his book tightly in her hand.

"I came here to find you. I thought-"

"What Rory? You thought we could be together?" she bit her lip, but remained silent. "Where would we live? What would you do? I work in a damn bookstore. I can't…" he trailed off, but she knew what he was going to say. He was going to tell her that he couldn't provide for her, that he wasn't good enough for her. She shook her head and grabbed his hand.

"I don't care." She told him. "I've finally figured out there's more to life than having plans and making lists. You helped me realize that. Besides, there will be other jobs. It's not like I'm never going to get another offer." Jess pulled away from her and looked at his watch.

"You still have time to catch a flight." He told her. She shook her head. Why was he so determined to get her to leave?

"Have you been listening to anything I've said? I want to be here with you." Jess was silent for a moment.

"No you don't." he told her. She opened her mouth to say something, but her cell phone rang and stopped her train of thought. She pulled it out of her purse and checked the caller ID.

"Logan." She whispered. Jess scoffed.

"Of course it is." She glared at him.

"You want to know why I'm here?" she asked him, but received no answer. "I'm here because I thought you wrote this book because you wanted to be with me. I'm here because there hasn't been one day that went by where I didn't think about what might've happened if you hadn't went to California." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I'm here because you were right. I love you, Jess. I always have." Tears began to fall as she threw the book at his feet. Her cell phone rang again, and this time she flipped it open.

"Hello?" she said, and then turned and walked back down the steps. Tears continued to fall down her face. Once she was out of sight, Jess picked up the book and ran his hand lightly over the cover. He clenched his fist and kicked the box closest to him as hard as he could, and watched as all the books tumbled out. He repeated this until all but one box had been knocked over. Once he was rid of his anger and frustration, he sat down on the remaining box and sighed. Then, he pulled a pen out from his back pocket and opened the book. He turned to the last chapter, turned a few pages, and began to write.

_She came back, and like always, I blew it. I should've told her the real reason I wanted her to leave. I should've told her I loved her. Hell, maybe I should've just grabbed her and kissed her._ _All I know is that I had her, and I let her walk away. I promised her I'd be there, but I wasn't. She drove the twenty two point eight miles, but when she arrived, I had already gone._

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**_You have no idea how hard it was for me not to make this the last chapter. I was going to have them make up and everything. But anyways, I hope you liked it :)_**


	4. Decisions

**A/N: **I know, I know. We all hate Logan. So, he's not going to be a major part of the story. I just brought him in for a little drama

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"Hello?" Rory asked for the second time. She had run out of the store and was flagging down a taxi. The tears had now subdued somewhat, but she still couldn't believe what had just happened. 

"Rory?" she heard the person on the other line ask. She sighed.

"Logan. Hi." She said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. She knew he was contemplating what to say, so she remained silent.

"Listen, Rory…" He trailed off as a taxi pulled up, and she got in. She whispered "the airport", and the driver nodded and pulled off.

"Logan, I'm not really-" He cut her off.

"I'm sorry," He told her. "For everything. When I said it was an all or nothing thing, I didn't mean it. How about we meet somewhere and grab some coffee? We can talk. I don't want to lose you." Rory bit her lip.

"Logan, I'm on my way to the airport. I got a job, and I'm leaving for Iowa." She told him.

"Which airport? I'll meet you there. I'll-"

"Logan." She said angrily. "Stop." She sighed. "It's over," she said. "We're over. I made my choice." She told him.

"But-" he started.

"No." She paused and let out a frustrated sigh. "Goodbye Logan." She said. "Please, don't call and don't try to find me. You need to let me go." She pulled the phone from her ear and pressed end. She closed her eyes, and leaned back against the seat. Memories of being with Jess flooded her mind, and the tears began to fall again. She didn't even try to wipe them away.

"Miss?" she heard the driver say a few minutes later. "We're here." She opened her eyes and looked out the window. The airport seemed to loom over her. She wondered if this was really what she was supposed to do.

"Miss?" the driver asked again, concern evident in his voice. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She smiled, and paid him for his service. She got out of the cab, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. She grabbed her things out of the back, and watched as the car disappeared out of sight. For a moment, she stood there staring at the spot where it had been. Then she sighed, and entered the building.

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Jess stumbled down the stairs and leaned against the counter. He placed the book beside him.

"I'm an idiot." He told the two men.

"Yeah, we know." Dylan said. Matt smacked him in the back of the head.

"Well, it's true. He let a girl like that walk away." Dylan said while rubbing the back of his head. "Dude, I thought you loved her." He said. Jess ran his fingers through his hair.

"I do." He told him. "But I was a jerk to her. And now she's leaving for Iowa."

"Iowa?" Matt asked. "That's not exactly close." Jess sighed.

"Yeah, I know…That was my last chance, and I blew it. She's probably halfway to the airport by now." He told them.

"Then what are you doing here?" Matt asked. Jess smirked.

"Good question." He said, and then started to walk out the door.

"Hey!" Dylan yelled at him. Jess turned around and saw that Dylan was holding up the book.

"You forgot something." He said. Jess smiled and went and took it from him.

"Thanks." He told them and left the store.

"We seem to be hearing that word a lot lately." Dylan told Matt before he walked up the steps. Matt shook his head and smirked before following him upstairs.

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Jess ran through the doors of the airport, and frantically looked for Rory. When he didn't find her, he walked up to a lady at the desk.

"When does the flight to Iowa leave?" he asked her. She looked at the computer screen and scrolled down.

"The only nonstop flight to Iowa left ten minutes ago." She told him. "If you'd like, I can book you a flight for first thing in the morning." Jess shook his head and walked away. He sat down in a nearby chair. What was he going to do now? He couldn't get a flight to Iowa; he wouldn't know the first place to look for her. He could mail her the book, but what good would that do? She had already read it, and knew how he felt. He could call her, but he didn't have her number. Then an idea came to him. If anyone knew how to get through to Rory, it was Lorelai. Jess stood up, and grabbed the book. He walked out of the airport and got in his car.

_Looks like I'm going back to Stars Hollow, _he thought before driving off.

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**_review and I'll love you forever :)_**


	5. Accusations and Explanations

**A/N: **I think from now on, most of the story will be following Jess. Rory is easier to write, but I really want people to understand why Jess did some of the things he did.

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Luke heard the familiar jingle of bells above the door to the diner. He turned thinking it was Lorelai, but instead found it was Jess.

"Jess." He stated and walked around the counter to stand in front of him. "How've you been?" Jess shrugged, and took off his jacket.

"Do you know where Lorelai is?" he asked. Luke looked confused.

"Is something wrong with Rory?" he asked. Jess shook his head, and Luke could tell he was distracted.

"No. I…I just need to talk to her." Luke turned and went back to wiping of the counter.

"You can wait here." He told his nephew. "She'll probably be here any minute now." As if on cue, Lorelai walked through the door.

"I need coffee!" she yelled at Luke. He smiled, and poured her a cup. Lorelai went to take it when she noticed Jess at the other end of the counter.

"What is he doing here?" She asked Luke, completely ignoring Jess.

"I came to talk to you." Jess said. Lorelai glared at him.

"Finally realized what a jerk you were?" she asked angrily. Jess sighed.

"I guess you talked to Rory then." He muttered. Lorelai got up from her seat at the counter, and turned to face him.

"If you mean my one and only daughter who called me ten minutes ago crying, then yes, I talked to Rory." Jess dropped his gaze.

"Lorelai, I-" She cut him off.

"If only she had listened to me. I told her from the beginning that you were trouble. I know guys like you. I was the queen of dating guys like you. She went through a stage, one which she apparently relapsed back into. All you do is hurt her, and she…she just should've listened to me." Jess slammed his fist against the counter.

"Damn it!" he yelled. "You think I don't know that I'm not good enough for her? Well, I do. She was going to give up her dream of being a journalist to stay in Philadelphia with me. I couldn't let her do that. I've already screwed up her life enough as it is. So, I did the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I told her I wanted her to leave." Jess lowered his voice. "And it turned out I'm a pretty damn good liar." Jess grabbed his jacket, and walked out. Lorelai bit her lip.

"I'll go talk to him." Luke told her. She shook her head.

"No. I will." She got halfway to the door when Luke asked,

"How do you know where to find him?" he asked her.

"Because I know Rory." She replied and smiled slightly before leaving.

Lorelai found him on the bridge, exactly where she knew he would be. He was staring out into the water.

"Hi." She said.

"Hey." He replied and kept his gaze on the water. She went to sit down beside him. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Lorelai watched as he threw rocks in the water. When the last one hit, he sighed.

"Sorry for back there." He told her. She smiled.

"Wow. I got a genuine apology from THE Jess Mariano. It must be my lucky day. I feel like I should take a minute to savor this moment." She joked. He smirked. "I probably deserved it anyway." She added as an after thought. "I should've listened to you instead of accusing you of things. You're not the same Jess I knew all those years ago. I'm sorry." She kicked at the water. He seemed to snap out of his trance, and turned to face her.

"I probably deserved it anyway." He told her and smiled. Lorelai pretended to be shocked.

"And a smile. I must've been blessed by the gods." She said and pretended to be praying. "Oh thank you, thank you." Jess smirked and got up.

"You haven't changed." He told her and shook his head. She laughed, and got up.

"Well, we can't all become mature adults in the matter of a few years. Someone has to have some fun." She started walking but turned around when they got to the end of the bridge.

"Speaking of fun, tonight's movie night. You're welcome to come. If you're good, I might actually let you pick the movie." Jess looked slightly uncomfortable. "Don't worry, Luke will be there too. Besides, what else do you have to do?" Jess shrugged.

"Good point." Lorelai resumed walking, but Jess stood still. He stared at the spot where they had previously been sitting. Flashbacks of the picnic with Rory all those years ago evaded his mind.

"You coming?" Lorelai yelled from up ahead. Jess sighed and turned towards her. He took one last look at the bridge before walking back to the diner.

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**__**you know what to do :)**_


	6. Postcards

**A/N: **I decided to put Rory in this chapter, mainly because I couldn't figure out where to go with Jess. Anyways...happy reading!

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Lorelai turned off the movie and wiped the tears that had fallen while watching it. She got up from her position on the floor, and turned around to see Jess and Luke asleep on the couch. She laughed and thought seriously of taking a picture to use for blackmail, but eventually decided against it. She stumbled into the kitchen, and accidentally knocked over what she believed was a lamp. Jess stirred, but Luke remained sleeping.

"Thank God it's over." Jess whispered and got up and stretched. "I thought I was going to get to pick the movie." He joked. Lorelai smiled and turned on the kitchen light, so that she wouldn't trip over anything else.

"Do you want something to eat?" She asked him and went over to the refrigerator. He shook his head.

"I should probably be heading back." He told her. She nodded, and he went to the door. Before he could even turn the doorknob, Lorelai was beside him.

"Listen, Jess…I know you love Rory, and I know she loves you too." Jess smiled. "But for now, I think it would be best if you gave her some space. At least until she gets back. Write some more in that book of yours. I promise you you'll get your happy ending." Jess nodded, and walked out the door. He got to his car, and opened the door when Lorelai yelled,

"Come back anytime. It gets pretty boring with just me and Luke." Jess smirked.

"Thanks." He told her, and got in his car. She smiled and walked back inside.

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Rory arrived back at the hotel after a long day of work. _If this is how my first day went, I'm going to die before I get past week one, _she said to herself. She pulled off her shoes and collapsed on the bed. No more than two minutes later her cell phone rang. She groaned, and dug it out of her purse.

"Hello?" she asked sleepily.

"How'd your first day go?" she heard her mother ask. Rory leaned back on the bed.

"Great." She lied.

"Great? Well, that's…great." She could hear the nervousness in Lorelai's voice. She sighed.

"What aren't you telling me?" She asked. She heard her mother giggle nervously.

"Me? Nothing. I'm not hiding anything. Why would I be hiding something?" Rory rolled her eyes.

"Mom…" Lorelai was silent for a moment, and then sighed.

"Jesscameback." Lorelai spoke fast, but Rory still caught it.

"To Stars Hollow? Why?" she asked, and then felt stupid for asking. He wanted to talk to her. "Never mind, I know why."

"He wanted your number, but I didn't give it to him. I told him you needed space." Lorelai told her.

"Oh." Rory paused "Good." She said uncertainly.

"That is what you wanted…right?" Her mom asked her. Rory nodded.

"Yes, of course it was." She lied, although it was more to herself than her mom. "Well, I'm really tired, so I think I'm going to get some sleep. I have to wake up early in the morning." She hoped her mom believed her, and even did a fake yawn.

"I guess being a Yale graduate can really wear you out." Her mom joked. "Goodnight, love you. Make sure to send me postcards." Rory laughed.

"I will. Love you too, mom." She heard the other line go dead, and then hung up. The word postcards began repeating itself in her mind. She concentrated hard and tried to remember why she couldn't get it out of her head. And then it hit her.

"_You didn't answer me." Jess said with anger in his eyes._

"_About what?" she asked with the same fierceness._

"_Did you call me at all?" he asked._

"_No." she said sharply, and the arguing continued._

"_Did you send me a letter?"_

"_No"_

"_Postcard?"_

"_No."_

"_Smoke signal?" She was starting to get annoyed._

"_Stop."_

"_A nice fruit basket?"_

"_Enough!" she yelled at him._

"_Are you still with Dean? Come on, Rory, yes or no – are you still with Dean?" She paused, and wanted to say no. She wanted to tell him that he was supposed to wait for her, and that she tried to write to him. Yet, there was something that stopped her. A mental image of him kissing Shane appeared in her mind, and she became angry at him for not waiting._

"_Yes I'm still with Dean, yes!"_

"_Glad to hear it." His words threw her off, and made her madder._

"_Glad to tell you." She snapped at him._

"_See you around." He replied back to her, and suddenly all she wanted to do was leave._

"_Whatever." She muttered._

"_Right back at you." He said, and then she stormed out._

Rory snapped her eyes shut to stop the memories. She'd never really thought of all the times she had hurt him, but ever since she read his book it seemed to be all she could think about. The time when she kissed him, then came back and pretended to still be in love with Dean just to get back at him for dating Shane. The night that she rejected him when he came back and asked her to go away with him. Then the most recent, and in her opinion worst one. She went to him, and he believed she had broken up with Logan. He kissed her, and she kissed back, but then told him she was in fact still with Logan. She didn't think that she'd ever forget the look on his face. He'd brushed it off, but she knew she hurt him.

He'd broken her heart, and she'd broken his. Maybe in some sense, that made them even. She sighed and turned over, then closed her eyes, and within moments was fast asleep.

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**_this chapter was a little different, but i hoped you still liked it :)_**


	7. Up to Something

**A/N **I think there's going to be one more chapter after this one. I might write two more, but I don't know.

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"_I don't know why you came, but I'm glad you did." she told me. I smirked, and walked off. The next week, I went again. It became routine for me. After about three months, she finally let me pick a movie. The only condition was that we couldn't discuss Rory. She said she didn't want to get involved. I told her she already had, but she just shrugged it off._

_Five months later, I got a call from Lorelai on a day that wasn't our usual movie night._

"_Do you think that we could have our movie night earlier?" She sounded nervous, and I wondered why._

"_Sure." I said. "When?"_

"_Um…tonight?" she asked uncertainly._

"_If you're busy this week, we can just skip movie night." I told her._

"_No." she replied sharply. I barely had time to get the sentence out._

_'Jeez', I thought. 'This woman really likes movie night.' I was pretty sure I had nothing to do, so I told her that tonight was fine._

"_Good." She said. "Just make sure you're there before seven." I was about to ask why, but she hung up before I could say anything. I had the feeling that she was up to something, I just wasn't sure what._

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Jess knocked on the door, and almost instantly it was opened by Lorelai.

"You're late." She told him. He looked down at his watch. It read 7:05.

"By five minutes." He muttered. She rolled her eyes and practically shoved him into the living room. Luke was already sitting on the couch.

"What's up with her?" Jess asked him. Luke shrugged.

"She's been like this all day." He said, and began flipping through channels. Jess sighed.

"If it's movie night, then why aren't we watching a movie?" Jess asked. Luke again shrugged. Someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it!" she yelled from the kitchen.

"Good, because I wasn't." Jess muttered to himself. He faintly heard voices coming from the doorway.

"It feels like you've been gone forever!" He could tell it was Lorelai from her voice.

"I know! I'm so glad to be home." His heart started beating faster, and the two people that the voices belonged to appeared in the hallway. Jess stood up.

"Rory." He whispered. She stopped suddenly and turned to look at him. Her gaze went from him to her mom and back again. She finally turned to Lorelai.

"You invited him didn't you?" she asked accusingly. Lorelai touched Rory's arm gently.

"If you'd just listen to him, then-" Rory jerked away.

"No." she said angrily, and glared at him. "I've already heard what he had to say." She dropped her luggage, and walked quickly out of the door. He ran after her.

"Rory! Wait!" he yelled after her. She shook her head, and he caught up to her.

"Would you just listen?" he asked, and began walking beside her. She sped up.

"Where are you going?" he yelled. She stopped and turned around.

"You know exactly where I'm going." She told him and resumed walking. Jess sighed, and kept following her. She eventually arrived at the bridge, and sat down. He remained standing. It reminded him of the time after the dance, when Rory and Dean broke up. He felt just as awkward now as he did then.

"Jess, what are you doing here?" Rory's voice snapped him out of it.

"What do you mean? I followed you-"

"No." she said and shook her head. "I mean what are you doing in Stars Hollow. You hated this town, remember?" Jess shook his head.

"It wasn't so bad. At least not when I was with you." He told her. She stared off into the water.

"Why do you always do this?" she whispered. He went and sat down beside her.

"Do what?" he asked. She stood up and started yelling.

"You always push me away! You make me feel loved, and then you leave. Well, I'm tired of it. I don't think I can stand you coming back into my life, just to leave it." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Not again."

Jess stood up and wiped her tears away with the back of his hand.

"This time it's different. I'm not leaving. I wrote the book-" Rory scoffed.

"It all comes back to the book doesn't it? You made me believe you really loved me. I thought that we could actually be together, but then you told me to leave the first chance you got." Jess sighed and sat back down on the bridge.

"I was scared," He said. "And I'm not good enough for you." Rory sat down beside him and touched his arm lightly.

"I think I should be the one who decides who is or isn't good enough for me." Jess shook his head.

"If you stayed with me, you wouldn't have gone to the job in Iowa. I didn't want you to give up your dream for me. You're going to be great one day, and I don't want to be the one holding you back." Rory grabbed his hand.

"If anything, you're the reason why I'm where I am today. If it wasn't for you showing up at my grandparent's that night, I would have dropped out of school and would probably still be living with them." Jess looked down.

"And what about Logan? You didn't exactly follow my advice about him." He muttered. She seemed to be thinking about something. It reminded him of the way she used to stop and start making lists in her head.

"I lied." She said suddenly. He turned to look at her questioningly.

"You lied?" he asked. She nodded.

"When I told you I said no to Logan's proposal because I wasn't ready, I lied. That wasn't the reason." She looked down at their still intertwined hands.

"Then what was the reason?" he asked. She sighed.

"You." She stated. "I couldn't accept his proposal because I was still in love with you." Jess smirked.

"Was?" He asked, and she hit him playfully on the arm.

"You know what I meant." He smirked, and cupped her face in his hands.

"Yeah." He said. "I do." She smiled before he captured her lips with his own. When they broke apart, he pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"You promise you're not leaving this time?" she asked him as he leaned back on the bridge.

"I promise." He told her and pulled her down beside him. She snuggled against his chest.

"Good." She whispered, and he smiled and kissed her forehead.

* * *

**_review :)_**


	8. About Time

**A/N: **I've decided to do one more chapter after this one :)

_

* * *

__8 months later..._

"You know…I think she did it on purpose." Lorelai told Luke as she was frantically searching the house for her left shoe.

"Did what?" Luke yelled from in the kitchen. Lorelai found her shoe beside the couch and slipped it on. She walked into the kitchen.

"Stole the light away from us." She stated. Luke looked at her confusingly.

"What are you talking about? What light?" Lorelai sighed.

"You know, the whole 'we're getting married soon' light. The one where you're always the topic of everyone's conversation." Luke rolled his eyes.

"What?" Lorelai asked defensively. "Why else would she have come to me and said—Mom, guess what? Me and Jess are getting married…oh and before I forget, the wedding is in two weeks. I wanted to make sure I'd get married before you did. And one more thing; I'm moving to Philadelphia." Luke grabbed the pot of coffee and poured her a cup. She gladly took it.

"She didn't say that." Luke told her. Lorelai sighed.

"Well she might have well had." She muttered. Luke grabbed her hand.

"She's not going to just move away and never come back. She loves you too much to stay away." Lorelai sighed.

"Thanks." Luke nodded and began pulling her towards the door.

"You're welcome." he said. "Now come on, we're going to be late."

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Chairs were lined up on both sides of the bridge—one side for the Bride's family, and one side for the Groom's. There was a white arbor decorated with red roses in the middle of the bridge. Everything else was draped in white. A piano began to play softly and Jess came down one side of the lake. He then took his position on the bridge in front of the priest. The piano music changed, and everyone stood. Rory walked slowly towards the bridge, her arm linked with her father's. Jess smiled as her dad kissed her on the cheek and gave her hand to Jess. He linked it with his own, and she smiled radiantly. She didn't think she had ever been happier. Jess nodded to the priest.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together—let them speak now or forever hold their peace." The priest paused, and Jess half expected Logan or Dean to show up and ruin the wedding. When no one objected, the priest turned to Jess.

"Do you, Jess Mariano, take Lorelai Leigh Gilmore to be your lawfully wedded wife for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, 'till death do you part?" Jess squeezed Rory's hand lightly.

"I do." Rory smiled, and the priest turned towards her.

"And do you, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, take Jess Mariano to be your lawfully wedded husband for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, 'till death do you part?" Rory smiled.

"I do." The priest motioned to Lorelai and Luke.

"The rings." Lorelai gave the ring she was holding to Rory, and Luke gave his to Jess.

"I love you." Rory whispered before slipping the ring on Jess's finger. He smiled before slipping the almost identical ring on her finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The priest said before he nodded to Jess. "You may now kiss the Bride." Jess smirked before pulling Rory to him, and captured her lips with his own. The wedding guests cheered, and Babette's distinct voice could be heard saying,

"Well, it's about time." Birdseed began to fly in the air towards the newlyweds. Jess grabbed Rory's hand, and they ran off towards his car. Lorelai stood up.

"Alright everyone, the wedding reception is at the Inn in about half an hour." Kirk made his way up to the front of the crowd.

"Will there be cake?" He asked, and Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Kirk there will be cake. It is a wedding reception." Kirk nodded.

"What about nuts? Because I think I have developed an allergic reaction to nuts. There was this one time…" He trailed off, and Lorelai walked away. Luke noticed her, and walked over.

"You okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"I'm fine…We should probably get to the Inn, I'm supposed to be helping set up." Luke nodded, and they made their way to his truck.

"I can't believe my baby just got married." She said to herself before they drove off towards the Inn.

_**

* * *

**__**well, this didn't turn out exactly as I had planned, but I hope you still liked it. I tried to make the wedding ceremony as real as possible.**_


	9. This Unavoidable Thing

**A/N: **Jess is a little out of character in this chapter, but I figured that since he just got married he's allowed to be happy and a little bit not himself.

* * *

After wiping off the cake that they had shoved in each other's faces, Jess left to give the "DJ" a CD. The DJ was actually just Luke standing by a CD player. When he came back, Rory was drinking the punch. He took it out of her hand and sat it on the table. He then held out his hand and smirked.

"May I have this dance, Mrs. Mariano?" he asked. She smiled and took his hand.

"You may." Jess nodded at Luke as he led Rory to the dance floor. Luke pressed play, and then left to find Lorelai. Music filled the air as everyone watched Jess and Rory share their first dance as a married couple. Rory leaned her head on Jess's shoulder as she listened to the words.

_**Between us I feel this undeniable thing**_

_**Between us so real this unavoidable thing**_

_**Between us I see this indefinable thing, between us**_

Rory lifted her head to look curiously at Jess. He smiled and kissed her softly, and she went back to her previous position.

_**Every time you say the words it's real**_

_**And every time you say the words, I feel**_

_**The night is long today; my love for you has changed**_

_**The night is long today, a hope has been replaced**_

"I love you." She says softly to where she thinks he can't hear. But he does, and he smiles, but does not reply. Instead he gives her hand a gentle squeeze.

_**All the steps we take, the ones we lead away, a little**_

_**When we walk away, we only grow more near**_

_**When we turn away, it all becomes so clear**_

_**This unavoidable thing, joining us**_

The music continues to play as his fingers brush her newly placed wedding band, and he stops to stroke the skin around it. She lifts her head once more to meet his eyes.

"This sounds like us." She says, and he nods. His expression turns serious for a moment, but quickly changes to the smirk she has always loved.

"It's finished." He tells her, and she looks at him questioningly.

"What is?" she asks.

"The book." He states. She smiles and whispers,

"I guess it is." He smirks.

"But you know…There's always room for a sequel." He jokes.

"Oh really?" she asks, and he pulls her closer.

"Yeah. Like maybe what happens on the wedding night." He whispers in her ear. She laughs.

"Now that's definitely a book I want to check out." She tells him. He smirks and kisses her jaw line.

"In that case, you should probably get started reading." She swats him away playfully and smiles. The song ends, and they leave the dance floor hand in hand. He walks off to get drinks as Lorelai walks up to Rory.

"I'm going to miss you." Lorelai says and hugs her daughter.

"It's only Philadelphia, and I promise I'll visit you all the time." Rory says reassuringly. Lorelai sighs and watches the couples on the dance floor.

"So…today?" she asks after a moment of silence, and Rory nods.

"Today." She states. "Jess has to get back to his job, and I need to work on finding one." Lorelai turns toward her.

"Try to wait until the last possible moment to have kids, okay? I'm too young to be a grandmother." Rory laughs.

"I promise. No kids until you say so." Lorelai smiles.

"Good." Jess returns with the drinks.

"Take care of her." Lorelai tells him. He nods, and Lorelai hugs Rory one last time before leaving. Jess kisses Rory on the forehead.

"Ready to go?" he asks. She smiles and nods and they turn and walk to the car. She takes one last look at the town of Stars Hollow before climbing in.

Music could be heard coming from the Inn as Lorelai watched her daughter leave, no longer a Gilmore. The music became louder as rain began to pour down.

_**All the steps we take, the ones we lead away, a little**_

Rory watched in the mirror as the Inn became further and further away.

_**When we walk away, we only grow more near**_

Jess reached across and intertwined their hands as the rain poured down on the windshield.

_**When we turn away, it all becomes so clear**_

"I love you." She told him for the third time that day. He looked down at their hands and the identical gold rings on their fingers.

_**This unavoidable thing, joining us**_

"I love you too."

* * *

**_the end! I hope you liked reading this story as much as I loved writing it :)_**

**_I might write a sequel, but I haven't decided yet._**


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